The present invention relates to toy elastic band guns and more particularly to such guns as employ the elastic band to develop sufficient force to fire projectiles.
Toy elastic band guns of various types have been known heretofore. Generally such prior devices employ a pivotable trigger element mounted in either the barrel or handle of the gun and provide for cocking of the elastic band on a specially formed portion of the trigger element or at the rear end of the barrel. However such devices are adapted to fire the elastic band as the projectile and, therefore, were not concerned particularly with the angle of inclination of the elastic band in its cocked position and during the initial stages of propulsion.
With the ever increasing cost of elastomeric articles, the cost of providing a continuing supply of reasonably high quality elastic bands has removed this type of toy gun from the category of low cost toys such that these toys must now compete with toy guns of more sophisticated design. Further, the increased cost of the elastic bands has made more attractive the use of a toy elastic band gun in which the elastic band remains secured to the gun while a relatively inexpensive projectile is fired. However, elastic band guns known heretofore, providing for inclined cocking of the elastic band, are not suitable for use in the firing of rectangular cardboard projectiles which, during loading, are slid alternately under and over one of the parallel lengths of the elastic band and should be propelled while in a substantially horizontal plane. Further, in an attempt to produce toy guns which simulate authentic firearms such toy devices have become increasingly complex and costly thus negating the original objective of providing inexpensive toy devices.